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Westport, Connecticut(September 12, 2007) - Save the Children staff members in Indonesia are
preparing to assist children and families affected by the 8.4-magnitude earthquake
that struck off the coast of Sumatra
today.The massive quake, with
an epicenter in the Indian Ocean, rattled the island nation at about 8:30 p.m.
local time, striking nearest to Bengkulu
Province on the western
coast. Several
strong aftershocks followed, including a 6.6-magnitude quake
about an hour after the first.Darkness and
communications problems are hampering injury and damage assessments, according
to the
government. Save the Children USA will
send out its emergency-response team to assess the situation within the coming
hours. The agency plans to purchase supplies and relief items to assistfamilies in immediate need while plans are made for additional assistance
efforts over the next 48 hours.Save the Children staff
have reported in safe. The agency's programs and offices
are not within the
quake zone.Bengkulu Province was devastated by a 7.9-magnitude quake in June
2000."This is a dangerous
situation for children," said Rudy Von Bernuth,
who heads Save the Children's
USA's emergency response efforts worldwide. "It is the middle of the night there, and
children are at risk from additional quakes and the dangers presented
by debris
and compromised construction." Indonesia is located on the seismically volatile "Pacific
Ring of Fire," where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common. The
country
has experienced a series of natural disasters over recent years. According to
the U.S. Geological Service, the country has seen more than 15 earthquakes of
magnitudes 6.3 or higher since
December 2004.Save the Children-which
has been working in Indonesia since 1976-has provided lifesaving relief and
ongoing recovery programs following the recent emergencies, including the
March
2007 Sumatra earthquake; flooding in Jakarta in February 2007 and in Aceh in
December 2006; and the Yogjakarta earthquake of May 2006 on the island of Java.
The agency continues to assist
children and families in Aceh Province,
devastated by the December 2004 tsunami.Media Contacts:
Mike Kiernan +1-202-261-4686
Kate Conradt +1-202-261-4673
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Children look at a one-day-old olive turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) before releasing it into the water at Trisik beach near Yogyakarta, September 20, 2007. Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands and the waters are home to six species of the world's sea turtles -- the olive turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), and the flatbacks (Natator depressus). Picture taken September 20, 2007.
